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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24592579">To Be A Guardian Angel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearsofashlynx/pseuds/tearsofashlynx'>tearsofashlynx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shall We Date?: Obey Me!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Violence, Dark, Gen, Gender-Neutral Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Heavy Angst, I'm Sorry, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, Luke isn't as innocent as he looks, NOT ROMANTIC LOVE - Freeform, Not a Love Story, Obsession, Stalking, WHY DID I WRITE THIS AGAIN, Yandere, luke is literally terrifying please save mc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:42:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24592579</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearsofashlynx/pseuds/tearsofashlynx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Why did they have to stay with the demon brothers, if there was room at Purgatory Hall? They could have been roommates with Luke, they could have been protected 24/7.</p><p>But Lord Diavolo screwed that up, throwing a poor human into a mess of demons who quite frankly cannot wait to ruin them. Luke knew this, and he intended to do something about it. </p><p>After all, it is an angel's job to protect purity, and one particular human was overflowing with it. </p><p>What happens when Luke turns his 'whining' about protecting the human among the deadly sins into actions? When the power is finally in his hands, just who will be left to tell the tale of the demonic angel?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> “Don’t you find it strange?”  </em>
</p><p>The inhabitants of Purgatory Hall were enjoying a peaceful lunch when Luke raised the question, gagging a little on Solomon’s cooking. Someone else really needed to take his place whenever it was his turn to cook. </p><p>“It was Lord Diavolo’s choice to place them there, so I never really questioned it,” Simeon had somehow finished his plate without ceasing his smile for even a second. He would definitely regret eating it all later, though. “Lucifer is trusted, so I assume that is the reason.” </p><p>“But they’re just a human!” Luke pouted, pushing his food around with his fork. What even was this stuff? “How are they meant to protect themselves if they’re just a human? Plus, we’re all here, so why-” </p><p>“You know, humans aren’t <em> that </em>weak,” Solomon chimed in, having actually enjoyed his meal. “I don’t understand why you bring it upon yourself to worry for them so much, they can handle themselves.” </p><p>“I didn’t mean to offend you or anything, I just- it doesn’t- if we-” Luke huffed frustratedly as he struggled to word his concern in a way that would help the other exchange students agree with him. “I mean, humans are smart and stuff, but demons are cunning! Really cunning!” </p><p>Simeon chuckled as he stood up to take their dishes. “So Barbatos is cunning too?” He questioned, turning to the smaller angel and raising an eyebrow. He knew Luke wouldn’t be able to agree with that; the two shared a rather wholesome bond that couldn’t really be explained by anyone else.</p><p>“No! That’s not what I meant! Gosh just-” Luke stood up, knocking his chair over in the process. “Forget it, you don’t understand,” He muttered before making his way to his room. </p><p>Solomon and Simeon exchanged glances, both appearing equally shocked and confused. Luke had never acted up that way before, his tantrums were usually half-hearted and funny, so they were unsure about what they should do next.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>“Lil Human~!” Mammon beamed as he burst into his human’s bedroom. There were books that they had borrowed from Satan scattered on the floor, Belphie had left his pillow in there, and a spare copy of ‘<em>I Fell in Love with a Man who Turned Out to be a Horse and Transformed Into a Sheep</em>’ was open on their bed. What kind of weird manga was Levi making them read now? “I need ya to gimme a few hundred Grimm, ‘kay? I wanna buy somethin’.” </p><p>The poor human was just trying to clean up the aftermath of a makeover with Asmo, and they really weren’t in the mood for money talk with Mammon. Still, they turned to the demon with a wide smile. “Afternoon Mammon! I don’t have a few hundred Grimm, why don’t you ask Lucifer?” They beamed with feigned innocence.</p><p>“Ya coulda just said no…” Mammon shuddered, before approaching them and tilting his head. “Whatcha doin’ anyway? Did I see Asmo leave here earlier?” </p><p>“Why, were you spying on me or something?" They laughed in response before shaking their head. “He was just giving me a makeover, he asked nicely this time. <em>No ulterior motives</em>.” </p><p>Mammon seemed to cheer up <em> very </em>quickly after hearing the last part. “Oh, well that’s OK then!” He folded his arms as he waited for them to finish cleaning up. “What would you say if, I dunno, I wanted to go to Majolish with ya?” </p><p>If Mammon wasn’t pretending to read one of Satan’s books from the floor, a light blush would be visible on his cheeks. He had been building up the courage to ask them to go somewhere with him since the night before, but kept chickening out. There was no backing out now. </p><p>
  <em> Please don’t reject me, I want to spend more time with you, away from this crazy place so that I can get to know you more and maybe figure out how to tell you how I feel, so please don’t say no, please don’t- </em>
</p><p>Turning from the mirror, they grinned. “Sure! Just wait for me near the entrance, I need to grab a jacket real quick.” </p><p>After watching the demon leave, they pulled a jacket from their wardrobe. However, when they put it on, a little slip of paper fell from one of its pockets. The paper looked as if it had been placed there recently, because it wasn’t crumpled at all, and the folds in it were neat and clean. Once they’d closed their window and left the room, they unfolded the note.</p><p>
  <em> “Whenever you see this, call Purgatory Hall and ask for Luke! :)”  </em>
</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>“I’m an angel, it’s my job to protect innocent people…” Luke had spent the last half an hour after lunch muttering to himself. Anyone would have thought Solomon’s cooking gave him hallucinations. </p><p>The small angel pulled a little box from under his bed and tipped out a stack of photographs. Picking up the first one he saw, he smiled down at the happy expression in the photograph. It had been torn so no one else was in it to ruin the purity it radiated. Luke caressed the person’s cheek with his thumb.</p><p>“So I’ll most <em>definitely</em> protect you.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Since this is the prologue, it is kinda short compared to the coming chapters. I haven't published fanfiction before, or worked this hard on it, so I hope you enjoy reading it! I'll try to update whenever I can! Thank you for reading! -Ai<br/>(Shameless self-promo but, if you want, follow me on Twitter since I'll post updates there! @tearsofashlynx)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Sacrifice for Love?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mammon finally had the chance to take River out, but nothing was ever simple for the poor demon. </p><p>Meanwhile, Luke was curious about Simeon's role as a guardian angel and how he could change to protect the person he loved, so that their ending was as happy as those in fairy tales. </p><p>A perfect opportunity to do this appeared before Luke as he spent the evening at the House of Lamentation. But what would this mean for the inhabitants of that house?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mammon pouted as he walked along with River; they were on their phone, trying to contact Purgatory Hall. Why? Why did they need to talk to one of the other lame exchange students <em> now </em>? He fiddled with his credit card, Goldie, as they walked silently, the faint ringing of their D.D.D being the only sound coming from the pair. Mammon wasn’t one to become so nervous around the human, who had been staying with them for six months now, but his arrogant demeanour was slowly crumbling since he came to terms with his feelings for them.</p><p>"Hello? Ah, Simeon! Hey, is it OK if I speak to Luke? Hm? Why? Well... I was meaning to call him, so..." They lied, though not in the most convincing manner. After all, Luke could have wanted to speak about something personal, so they didn't want him to have to explain to Simeon too. They smiled slightly as they heard Luke's footsteps through the phone; it sounded like the little angel was running closer and closer. Mammon glanced at their smile, huffed, and folded his arms.</p><p>"You found it! I knew you would!" Luke's cheerful voice rang through the speakers of their phone, his voice was a blessing to their ears. It made sense too, since he wasan angel. "I wanted to ask you someth-" </p><p>"River!" Mammon whined, motioning as if he was going to snatch their phone away. "We're walkin' extra slow 'cause yer talkin' to Chihuahua!" </p><p>"Hold on!" They dodged his arm, though he had no intention of taking the phone in the first place. "Sorry, Luke, what were you saying? Mammon here is <em>really impatient </em>because he wants to go to Majolish." The human stuck her tongue out at the pouting demon.</p><p>Luke clutched the phone tighter. "I-It doesn't matter, it was nothing. Just- Just tell him that I'm not a chihuahua!" He forced a giggle before hanging up as quick as he ran for the phone earlier.</p><p>River slipped their D.D.D back into their pocket. "Luke said it was nothing, but I think you scared him off by calling him a chihuahua." They sighed, moving closer to Mammon since their dodge had separated them a little. "I'll talk to him about it later. I'm all yours for the afternoon now, you happy now?" They teased.</p><p>Mammon's cheeks burned up as he looked away and mumbled: "Somethin' like tha'." He fought the urge to sport a huge grin as he realised that he was finally on a 'date' with River. Sure, they didn't know it was a date yet, but hopefully it would become one as soon as he revealed his feelings for them... hopefully.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>"So, what did they-?" As Simeon tried to ask Luke what River was calling for, the boy turned and trudged back to his room. In fact, he couldn't even hear Simeon's attempted questioning over his pent-up frustration. Simeon blinked in confusion. "Well, if you want anything, let me know! I'm going to buy ingredients for dinner!" The gentle angel called out before wincing at the sound of Luke's door slamming.</p><p>Wait. Going to buy? Shopping?</p><p>Luke's door swung open again almost instantly, and Simeon chuckled at his sudden change of heart. His child-like reactions were always so endearing. Surely Luke would ask for baking ingredients, or something sweet for himself to eat later.</p><p>"I want to come with you!" Luke ran back to Simeon, determination laced in his voice, as if he felt a sense of duty. Determination for what? Simeon wasn't sure, but he knew Luke to be someone who was passionate so he didn't find it very strange and allowed him to join him.</p><p>On their way to the local shops, the usual peaceful walk that Simeon previously enjoyed alone became an impromptu interrogation. Luke shot questions at the taller angel, questions about his previous work as a guardian angel, and about his duties. Simeon was the best person to ask, due to his sensible nature and extensive knowledge on an angel's job; he was practically a living, breathing encyclopedia. </p><p>"You were a guardian angel before this program, right?" Luke asked inquisitively, like a child talking to an older sibling. "What was it like?"</p><p>Simeon stopped walking, to Luke's surprise, and sighed as he looked up to the Devildom's dark sky. "Ah, yes, I was." He said quietly, before falling silent as if he was reminiscing about some distant memory. "He was the most beautiful boy with a hellish past and dangerous lifestyle, yet... his heart was so bright with purity it took me by surprise." </p><p>Luke smiled and joined his fellow angel in looking up at the sky. He hadn't been a guardian for anyone yet, but somehow he understood Simeon. He too knew someone with a bright, pure heart. He knew the happiness that they brought him, even without directly communicating with him. Just <em>seeing </em>them was enough. However, this happiness was abruptly shattered.</p><p>"He died when he was eighteen, because he loved someone." </p><p>"A sacrifice for love...?" Luke turned to Simeon, who wiped a stray tear from his cheek and returned his curious gaze with a tearful smile and a nod. </p><p>"The beautiful lynx sacrificed himself so that the one person he had left could live comfortably. It was heartbreaking to watch." Simeon's tone was gradually becoming colder as he recalled what seemed to be a very painful memory. </p><p>In most cases, Luke would try to end the conversation as soon as Simeon showed any sign of discomfort, but he found himself enthralled by the story that all he could do was urge it on by asking questions. "Couldn't you stop him?"</p><p>By this point, Simeon's voice was as cold as ice. "He was murdered, it was his fate. Angels aren't to tamper with fate." He then continued to walk, wiping his eyes with his arm in a desperate attempt to compose himself. Simeon knew that he was seen as someone who was always calm, so an emotional outburst was something he really wished to avoid.</p><p>Luke also realised that it was not a wise idea to push the subject further, considering how upset he was, but he made a mental note using the information he learned: the Celestial Realm needed an angel who would bend fate for the person they loved.</p><p>"Oh, Simeon! Look, it's Majolish! Can I go inside?"</p><p>"Of course!" Simeon turned and smiled at the smaller angel. Usually he'd ask why, since Luke never had much of an interest in fashion, but Simeon really needed to get away from Luke for the moment. As soon as Luke disappeared into Majolish, he <em>ran </em>to the nearest alley, where he could be alone in the dark, confined space.</p><p>There, Simeon leaned against the wall, clutching his chest and sobbing quietly to himself, allowing his hidden pain to show itself in the form of salty tears. With trembling hands, he pulled out his D.D.D and called Lucifer to give him a hand.</p><p>"Lucifer? I-It's Simeon. P-Please help me-"</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>"Ya weren't even invited, go away!" Mammon groaned as Asmo had found a way to crash the pair's afternoon. "If ya wanted to shop with them, ya shoulda asked!" </p><p>Asmo chuckled, completely disregarding his brother's annoyance as he picked up a scarf from one of Majolish's stocked shelves. "It can become cold here, your precious human neck needs some protection~!" He cooed, wrapping the scarf around their neck gently, ensuring that his fingers grazed their neck <em>ever so slightly</em>. "Doesn't that feel nice?" He purred. The Avatar of Lust definitely knew how to woo someone.</p><p>River blushed lightly and watched through the mirror as Asmo fixed the scarf. A small smile spread across their face. "It's very warm! Thanks, Asmo!" </p><p>"No problem darling~" Asmo winked.</p><p>Mammon coughed to get their attention, because there was no way Asmo was going to swoop in and steal his date like that. He hated seeing how River blushed, when they never did the same for him. It wasn't their fault, he just wasn't the type to flirt a lot like Asmo did, but maybe if he confessed, that would change? Regardless of whether or not it changed anything, Mammon didn't like what he was seeing.  Not only because of jealousy, but he would also hate to see River hurt, and Asmo had quite the reputation as a lustful player.</p><p>"So- uh- I got ya this- uh-" Mammon quickly snatched a woolly hat from the shelf nearest to him. "I got ya this thing, do ya need help tryin' it on?" He couldn't even conceal the blush spreading across his cheeks as he spoke, imagining placing the cute hat on their little head was doing things to his heart.</p><p>Asmo laughed. "I'm sure they can put a hat on by themselves, Mammon."</p><p>"O-Oi! Ya did the same with tha' stupid scarf!"</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Luke watched the commotion unfolding from a distance. He was crouching behind a cluster of mannequins, pretending to check out their shoes. Luckily, none of the staff asked about him. They assumed he was a child waiting for a parent, or something along those lines. </p><p>The small angel's fists clenched at the sight of the demons' hands all over River. Who gave them permission to taint them like that? As an angel, it was Luke's job to protect the pure and innocent, but at that point it felt like it would soon be too late. Those demons were stealing them, right in front of his eyes. The poor human looked happy too, they didn't even know what those evil brothers were doing to them. </p><p>Luke couldn't do much at the time; he was weaker than the demons since he was so much smaller than them, and he knew that powerlessness would be his downfall. Moreover, it probably wouldn't be clever to make a scene in the middle of a shop full of demons. Those <em>things </em>were terrifying, and probably wouldn't appreciate being disturbed. He could do that <em>later</em>, without the eyes of a dozen demons on him.</p><p>For now, he had plans with a certain glutton to prepare for.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>In the end, River settled with buying both the hat and scarf, despite the fact that they didn't match <em>at all</em>. They didn't want to hurt either of the brothers' feelings by choosing one over the other, and both were nice enough, they would just have to wear them on separate occasions. But that could wait until later, because they were <em>exhausted</em>.</p><p>In fact, when they arrived home, Simeon had just been seen out by Lucifer and he rushed home to start preparing dinner. River made a beeline for the living room as Lucifer went back to his study. They plopped down on the ground beside a couch where Belphie seemed to be napping, yawning softly. Running after Asmo and Mammon to save them from biting each other's heads off was a draining task. </p><p>"Nap with me." Belphie shuffled over on the couch so there was space for River to slip next to him, carefully holding their arm to show he was genuine about his request.</p><p>How could they reject the sleepy demon? Considering how wonderful a nap sounded at that moment, rejecting him would be impossible, so they clambered onto the couch and yawned again as Belphie held them close like he did to his pillow. With Belphie's warmth and their lack of energy, River was asleep in no time, and Belphie was quick to follow. </p><p>Since they were fast asleep, they didn't even notice any visitors arrive a short while later. Luke had arranged to bake with Beel, though as usual it was mainly used as an opportunity to see River again, and to check up on them. Beel always ate half of the batter before it could reach the oven anyway, and their cakes always disappeared as fast as they were taken out of the oven</p><p>Usually, whenever anyone visited the House of Lamentation, River would happily greet them, even if they were busy doing something else. It was this kindness which only drew Luke closer to them. However, that evening, they were nowhere to be seen. Surely they knew Luke had arrived? Word spread fast in that house, after all.</p><p>"Beelzebub, may I use your bathroom please?" He asked the demon, who was trying his hardest not to open the oven and eat the half-baked cake. It smelt divine. </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Mammon had holed himself in his room since they returned from Majolish. He was certain that he could finally convey his feelings to River by inviting them out of the house with him, away from his meddling brothers. So how did Asmo still end up ruining it for him? Laying on his couch, he stared at the ceiling.</p><p>What would be different if he had told them that afternoon? Rather than wallowing in self-pity, would he have his arms around them? Would the faint smell of shampoo linger around him as he rested his head on theirs? Would they be smiling at him, as sweetly as ever, telling him that they would never hurt him, and that they would appreciate him? That's all he'd ever wanted, would they be the one to give that to him?</p><p>The demon sniffled as he held a cushion to his face and sat up abruptly. He told himself to get a grip, to 'man up', but he also came to realise how much he was truly suffering. Sure, he acted indifferent around everyone, but there was only so many feelings he could hide before he cracked. <em>Perhaps he had already cracked</em>. </p><p>"Damn it! Damn it all!" He threw the cushion towards the wall, beside the open door which he was sure he had closed. If any of his brothers saw him in that state, he knew they'd mercilessly ridicule him, so he stood up to close the door. </p><p>Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, sniffling again as he tried to hold his tears in, Mammon approached the door but came to a halt when he noticed a familiar white hat approaching. He kept the door open a crack as he peered out, watching the small angel sneak up to his room. Mammon was quick to move so his back was pressed up against the wall as Luke pushed open the door slightly, appeared disappointed, and closed the door again.</p><p>"What...?" Mammon mumbled, rubbing his eyes as confusion overtook sadness. </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Truthfully, Luke had no idea here the bathroom was in that massive house. In fact, he didn't even need to use it. He was looking for River. What were they doing? Why hadn't he seen them yet? To find the answers to his questions, he decided to sneak around the entire house and check all the rooms. Carefully, of course. He didn't want to be caught, in case it caused a misunderstanding.</p><p>But, since he began with the first floor, he was quick to realise that he hadn't seen them because they were trapped in a tired demon's embrace. They appeared peaceful, but Luke assumed that Belphie had <em>forced </em>them to become his teddy bear. The poor human, they were being completely fooled and played around with by these low life demons. If only he could bring her to Purgatory Hall, Solomon and Simeon would never use them like that.</p><p>
  <em>Perhaps he could.</em>
</p><p>It was this controversial idea that prompted Luke to start searching for their bedroom. He knew where Beel and Belphie slept due to the time he hid there, though he preferred <em>not </em>to remember that occasion. He only came across the wrong bedroom twice: one had a car in it, and the other was full of books and was too messy to see much else. But on his third try, he finally came across the room he was searching for: River's bedroom.</p><p>Luke didn't know how long he would be able to get away with this without Beel wondering where he was, and without River waking up and catching him in the act, so he had to move quickly as he began pulling open drawers.</p><p>"I'm sorry, River. I'm doing this for your own good, I'm going to be your guardian angel."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This one was a little long, I hope it wasn't too much for anyone! </p><p>I did reference a certain anime here, I wonder if anyone recognises it. If you do, I'm so sorry. It needed to be done :,)</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As I said before, I'll just be posting when I have the chapters done, so there isn't a specific schedule, however I might implement one in the future. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Trust</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>River finds themselves in a situation where they cannot trust those closest to them.<br/>Luke finally feels he has a way to save them from the dreaded dorm known as The House of Lamentation, but another setback forces him to come up with another plan.<br/>Meanwhile, Beel reflects on the way people see him; is he really that scary?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"What the fuck?" </em>
</p><p>River returned to their room after waking up in the middle of the night, refreshed from their nap and barely able to wriggle their way out of Belphie's arms. Since they were feeling energetic, they expected to spend the rest of the night reading or playing games recommended to them by Levi. However, when they pushed open their door, their drawers had been opened, and there were clothes and other belongings scattered everywhere. It appeared as if a bomb had hit the place, or as if...</p><p>
  <em>...As if someone had broken in.</em>
</p><p>As River tried to figure out if anything was missing, they stumbled backwards in shock when they found out what the intruder was after. </p><p>Their underwear drawer was half empty.</p><p>They had been living with the demon brothers for half a year, and they blindly trusted them the entire time because they were always so hospitable and fun. Sure, they had their ups and downs, but in the end they were always good to them. So why? Why had someone stolen their underwear all of a sudden?</p><p>It felt impossible to process, and they found themselves kneeling before the drawer and sobbing quietly to themselves; their trust had been broken so harshly and abruptly that rather than feeling angry, they felt hollow. Why would anyone do this?</p><p>Satan, who tended to stay awake reading most nights, had been searching for one of his books when he remembered that he had lent it to River. But as he approached their room cheerfully, glad he had an excuse to visit them so late at night, he was taken aback by the sound of...crying?</p><p>"River? Are you OK in here?" He knocked the door softly before slipping into the room. Trying not to frighten them, he walked over, before he noticed the open drawer in front of them and its contents- or its lack of contents. Satan closed the drawer carefully, he wanted to ensure that he would not to invade their privacy more than it had seemingly already been invaded.</p><p>To his surprise, River suddenly turned to face Satan and shuffled away, their expression was pitiful, like a cornered kitten. "It doesn't matter if you look inside, someone stole most of it anyway." They were mumbling, but the words rang loud and clear for Satan.</p><p>The Avatar of Wrath felt his blood begin to boil. "Someone did <em>what?!</em>" His voice boomed louder with each word. </p><p>River never liked to have this kind of outlook, but when Satan moved closer to them to comfort them, they harshly pushed him away. He, like his brothers, was a <em>demon</em>, and while they tried to see the siblings as decent people, suddenly their species was making a huge difference in how River felt about them. Was it wrong to trust demons in the first place? Was it their fault for being naive? </p><p>Satan tried to hide the pain in his expression as he sighed and stood up. "As much as I dislike that man, I'm going to get Lucifer. We need to find out who did this to you." His voice was full of purpose and rage as he stormed out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, he began yelling for his brothers to wake up and 'get their asses to the living room'.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Lucifer ensured that the situation was handled as maturely as possible, despite Satan's wrath and the outrage felt by his brothers being difficult to contain. First, the group spoke about what Satan discovered, without River in the room to witness it. </p><p>"I'm tellin' ya! Luke was snoopin' aroun' yesterday! How'd ya know it ain't him?" Mammon groaned from where he sat. He was fuming, but he was forced to bury that anger in order to have a calm conversation. He couldn't see his brothers carrying out such a perverted act, but the only other person it could have been was Luke.</p><p>"Luke? But I was baking with him all evening, how could it be him?" Beel asked, tilting his head in confusion. "He left to go to the bathroom, but that's all. Aren't you overthinking this?" </p><p>"It's awfully suspicious that you're accusing a literal angel of sinning," Belphie chimed in, raising an eyebrow at his older brother, who was once again being used as a scapegoat for a serious offence. "In any case, Beel and I are in the clear because we have alibis. We should protect them until they figure out if they want to leave, or to stay somewhere else." </p><p>"I know I didn't do this, and it pains me to say this, but Belphegor is right. All of us are suspects, apart from the twins, so we should allow River to choose what they want to do with that information." Satan frowned. </p><p>"But it wasn't us, why would we even do something like that? Only perverts in anime do that stuff!" Leviathan complained, folding his arms. He wanted to be cleared of suspicion so he could have his gaming partner back, why should he have to suffer because of his weird brothers?</p><p>"I agree! I'm sure River knows I would <em>never </em>take their underwear!" Asmo hummed, he too wanted his cuddle buddy to trust him. Unfortunately, the fact that he was the avatar of lust slipped his mind, making his statement sound somewhat ridiculous.</p><p>"If anyone is suspicious, it's you Asmodeus." Lucifer groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rather than complaining about being a suspect, use that energy to try and find the culprit. River shouldn't feel unsafe here." </p><p>Begrudgingly, the demon brothers agreed, and the rare family meeting was adjourned.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>River chose to have a quiet conversation with just Beel and Belphie in their room following the meeting, since they decided they could only trust the twins for now. Belphie had been napping with them, so he couldn't have done anything, and Beel had Luke to testify for him. </p><p>"If it's OK, could I stay in your room for now? I can sleep on the floor! I'll just grab my pillows and blankets from my room-" They turned to rush back to their room, but Beel held their arm gently to stop them. His eyes widened when he realised they were trembling, and he carefully pulled them into an embrace. </p><p>"Stop, River. You have to breathe first! Breathe with me, in... and out. In... and out. Just like that." It was only then that Beel truly understood the effect this sudden lack of trust had on the poor human. They were struggling to breathe, trembling like a leaf, yet trying to conceal it because they felt bad for suddenly distrusting everyone. "Belphie is already sleeping, but we could stay awake longer if it helps you calm down." </p><p>It was warm in Beel's arms, and they would have loved to stay burrowed against him all night, but they wanted to let him rest. River knew they weren't going to sleep that night, no matter how hard they tried. Just the idea of someone having such private items alone was sickening, let alone what they could be doing with those items. Deep down, the real reason they wanted to stay away from Beel that night was simply because he was a <em>demon</em>, but River felt mean thinking that way. </p><p>"Sorry, Beel, but I think I'll just sleep alone tonight." They smiled nervously at the tall demon before hurrying out of the room, attempting to escape the wave of guilt that would soon hit. </p><p>Beel watched them leave sadly; he wished to follow them, but he didn't want to scare them more, so he decided to lay down and try to get some sleep despite how worried he felt. He knew he was taller than his brothers, and that perhaps he could appear intimidating, but he always tried his best to be nice... so why was River so nervous around him? Beel sighed to himself and stared at the wall beside his bed until he drifted to sleep. </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Once they found a comfortable place to spend the night, away from the demon brothers, River pulled out their D.D.D. and called the only person they could think of venting to about their awful situation: Luke. The pure angel always made them feel cheerful, and they trusted him since he was so small and sweet. What wrong could someone so innocent do?</p><p>"Huh? River? Are you- Are you OK?" A sleepy, child-like voice answered the phone after mere seconds of ringing. Luke had clearly been woken up by the call, and River felt bad for disturbing him, but he seemed worried about them so it would be best if they explained now that he was awake. </p><p>While they tried their hardest to explain the situation to Luke, there were moments where they were extremely close to tears. The entire ordeal was confusing enough, but the sheer weight of it was quickly becoming apparent. As he heard the stress in their voice, Luke tried his hardest to console them, urging them not to cry while trying to subtly convince them that living with demons was a terrible idea to begin with. </p><p>"Hey, it's all going to work out. I'll come over with cupcakes tomorrow, pretending I'm visiting those demons, but really I'll be there so you're not lonely!" River was sure that Luke was beaming as he spoke, they could hear it in the cheerful tone of his voice, and the positivity Luke's voice was laced with happened to be contagious.  </p><p>Luke reminded them of a precious younger brother, and it made them feel comforted on that scary night. While they sat alone in the living room, hugging their knees, Luke told them his favourite story over the phone until he could hear their soft snores as they drifted to sleep, even then he didn't want to hang up. That would be leaving them defenseless in a house full of demons, and that felt evil. </p><p>"You're sharing a room with Beel and Belphie from tomorrow? They got lucky with alibis, but they're not trustworthy either..." Luke mumbled to the sleeping human, knowing they were unlikely to be able to hear a word of it. "I guess... I need to do something about that, huh?"</p><p>Meanwhile, Levi had been in the middle of binge reading a manga series when he decided to sneak to the kitchen to grab a late night snack. He wason volume seventy-four, but he still had a hundred more to go. Spotting River fast asleep on the couch, he felt the need to ensure they were comfortable. It was the least he could do; while he wasn't the most involved member of the household, he still cared for them, even if he called them a normie sometimes. He grabbed a cushion and carefully tucked it underneath their head, before picking up their D.D.D and ending the call. "Night, River..." He mumbled softly, before shuffling out of the room in case he was caught being so... normie-like. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry this chapter took a little longer than anticipated! It's not my best writing, I'll admit, but it serves as a bridge between the introductory chapters and the really angsty plot to follow. Prepare some tissues, because things are about to go south real quick!<br/>The next chapter should be updated within the next couple of days. I hope you enjoy it :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Do Demons Cry Blood?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luke delivered a little surprise for his precious human, hoping it would cheer them up and help him out a little.<br/>River tried to spend the day with the demon brothers as they usually would, despite the incident from the night before, but it proved to be much harder than they thought.<br/>But that afternoon, a second incident hit the dorm, leaving an even larger mess in its wake.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Simeon didn't expect to be woken up very early in the morning on a Sunday, since they didn't need to go to RAD they should have been able to sleep for a few more hours at least. But Luke was shaking him impatiently, huffing whenever he tried to turn away to get more rest.</p><p>"Simeon! I need your help, stop ignoring me!" Luke pouted and shook his shoulder again. The gentle angel sat up and yawned, giving up on trying to ignore Luke, since it was clear he was never giving up. </p><p>"What's wrong?" Simeon asked, checking the time on his D.D.D. "It's far too early to be so busy, just what are you up to?" </p><p>"Well, you see, I promised River that I would bring them cake today! But I don't have all the ingredients, and I don't want to go and buy them alone..." The smaller angel's voice trailed off as he imagined shopping in the Devildom all alone. He shuddered and shook his head; there was no way he was going to do that and risk being kidnapped or something. Luke slipped a hand in his pocket, rummaging around before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "I just need a few things, can you help me?" </p><p>Struggling to refuse the excited angel's request, Simeon took the list and skimmed over its contents. The ingredients were very specific, but they were pretty well known 'Devildom foods' that he could find in most places. "Alright, I'll grab this and you can begin baking. That way, by the time you deliver them, River would have probably just woken up." </p><p>"Thank you, Simeon!" Luke cheered, giving the tired angel a hug before scampering out to Purgatory Hall's kitchen.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>The House of Lamentation was very quiet that morning. Saying tensions were high was an understatement; the brothers were barely talking to each other, aside from Beelzebub and Belphegor, and River was fast asleep on the couch. No one wanted to wake them up, so they lingered around the dorm like ghosts, avoiding each other and acting as if they didn't know each other. Lucifer was pacing his study, Satan was stress-organising the library, Asmodeus was trying to calm himself with a face mask, and Leviathan was gaming as he usually did, though his rage-quitting was a little more violent than usual. Beelzebub was hovering around the fridge in the kitchen, trying to figure out what to eat, and Belphegor was napping on the kitchen counter. </p><p>Meanwhile, Mammon was keeping an eye on River. He had pushed the disappointment of not being able to confess to them right to the back of his mind, his main priority was protecting them and finding out who hurt them so they could live comfortably again. The avatar of greed thought back to the day before, when he caught Luke snooping in his room. It was clear he was looking for something, but what? It could have been the bathroom, like Beelzebub stated the night before, but it seemed strange that he was looking into bedrooms to find it. Mammon groaned and lightly banged his forehead against the living room's door. If only his brothers took him more seriously at least attempted to understand his point of view; there was no way they'd even lift a finger against Luke, especially if Mammon was the one complaining about his suspicious behaviour. </p><p>His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, and since he was closest, he went to answer it. It was early on a Sunday morning, so it was strange to have a visitor, but Mammon assumed it was Diavolo looking for Lucifer or something. What he didn't expect was to see Luke standing there with a box of freshly baked cupcakes, peering around him as if looking for someone else.</p><p>"What're ya doin' here?" Mammon asked through gritted teeth. The brat was brave to show up after being so suspicious, even if Mammon was the only one who suspected him of anything.</p><p>"I'm here to see River, <em>not you,</em>" Luke huffed, before his expression suddenly softened and he smiled brightly. "Beel, I made cupcakes, want one?"</p><p>Beelzebub, who had noticed the aroma of freshly baked cake, had naturally gravitated towards it and was hovering behind Mammon. He reached over and grabbed one out of the assortment that Luke was offering, it was his favourite flavour. "How did you know I liked newt tail cream the best?" He asked, before <em>inhaling </em>the cupcake as if it was just a crumb.</p><p>"You told me when we were baking, remember?" Luke seemed distracted as he kept looking around for River. He assumed they would be awake, but they were nowhere to be seen. Usually they'd greet him at the door, but there was no sign of them that morning.</p><p>"They're sleepin'." Mammon folded his arms, standing in a protective stance; he wasn't planning on letting Luke in.</p><p>Luke hadn't even thought that they may have been sleeping since they had such a restless night, and he certainly didn't want to disturb them, so he took Mammon's hint and handed the cupcakes to him. "Keep these safe for them, OK? Don't eat them all!"  He felt bad leaving without seeing River, but he also didn't want to be alone with the demons, so he huffed and scurried away before he was stuck with them any longer.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Breakfast that day was non-existent; everyone grabbed their own snacks when they felt like eating, and it was virtually impossible to have everyone sat around the dining table at the same time without a fight almost breaking out. Lucifer was tired of the heightening tension, and wanted to regain control over the household, so he made sure that <em>everyone </em>was present for lunch. Was this a good idea? He wasn't sure once he finally managed to round up his rowdy siblings.</p><p>Lunch was painfully awkward. To make life easier, Lucifer cooked so they didn't have to follow the usual cooking schedule, but no one spoke to each other. River was sandwiched between the twins, with Belphegor glaring daggers at his brothers and Beelzebub helping himself to some food. The rest of the demons exchanged awkward glances in the deafening silence as they tried to scoff down their food as fast as possible. Unfortunately for them, Beelzebub was the only one who could essentially swallow an entire meal whole, but he was eating slower than usual in contrast to his brothers.</p><p>Glancing at the seven brothers sat around them, River felt somewhat uncomfortable. They felt bad that everyone was so distant after the stolen underwear incident, but at the same time, they knew that they couldn't just ignore what happened, it was far too serious, and a culprit still hadn't been found yet. To break the awkward silence, they looked down at the decent amount of food left on their plate. Hunger was the least of their worries and they'd only taken so much because Lucifer had cooked despite it being their turn that afternoon. "Hey, Beel, want my leftovers?" </p><p>River recalled all the times Beelzebub stole his brothers' food when they weren't looking, despite the fact they were planning to finish it, so they assumed he would be overjoyed with extra food being offered to him rather than having to steal it. But Beel took a look at the food and shook his head, his smile laced with sadness. "I'm not hungry, I think I'll take a nap, thank you." </p><p>This seemed to grab everyone's attention; they watched as Beelzebub excused himself from the table and left the room, closing the door behind him. It was very unlike the avatar of gluttony to refuse food so easily, or to refuse food at all, so his behaviour was very strange and somewhat worrying. The only times he had ever lost his appetite were when he was feeling awful, so he must have been really upset. Everyone appeared to have the same idea; they were all wondering who should check up on him, but due to the tension that loomed over them, they didn't come to a decision quick enough. </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Meanwhile, Beelzebub sighed as he trudged to his room. One hand held his stomach, which was cramping slightly. He really valued his family, and he hated seeing everyone so awkward and tense around each other. Moreover, he couldn't stand the idea that someone there had hurt River so badly, when they were kind enough to trust them all despite being intimidated by them at first. Perhaps that's what caused his upset stomach; he just couldn't stand the family breaking apart so suddenly. </p><p>As he entered the bedroom he shared with Belphegor, he felt warm tears slowly glide down his cheeks. He hadn't felt like he was going to cry, yet the tears seemed to just appear all of a sudden. He sniffled as he felt his nose running, though he wasn't crying hard enough for that to happen. Due to how strange his sudden apparent emotional outburst was, he locked the door behind him. Beelzebub didn't want anyone seeing him like that, so he made sure he would be completely alone until he calmed down. </p><p>'I should clean myself up,' He thought to himself as he approached a mirror, only to gasp at his own reflection and stumble backwards in shock. Those were not tears on his cheeks, but streams of blood that seemed to become heavier by the second. His nose wasn't just running either, it was bleeding, the blood beginning to drip into his mouth. Blood even fell from his earlobes, as it began to pool in his ears. </p><p>Beelzebub didn't even have time to think about what was happening to him, blood was clouding his vision until he couldn't see anymore, and as he rubbed his eyes, they only stung more. The bleeding demon screeched as the blood mixed with salty tears of pain, but even that pained cry was cut short as the taste of blood became apparent in the back of his throat. It felt as if a knife was trying to escape through his throat, hot blood rising to escape with it until it gathered in his mouth. The only sound he could make was a blood-curdling gargle. Soon enough, Beel couldn't see, hear or breathe. All he could smell was blood and death, as if he was turning to a living corpse, and the only sound he could make was guttural choking as blood blocked his airways. </p><p>But despite how much pain he was going through physically, despite the hellish experience his body was fighting, his mind was full of only the purest memories from his long, long life. Lilith's bright smile was all he needed to convince him to let go. No matter how hard he struggled, he knew the outcome would be the same, and he missed Lilith dearly.</p><p>Perhaps dying wasn't so scary after all.</p><p>Beelzebub smiled through the pain as he began to feel faint, his entire body on fire, and his chest and lungs feeling as if they were being torn apart. His smile never faltered in the slightest, though. He'd lived happily, so he was going to die the same; something about watching his family grow with Lilith beside him was magical.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>The thud rang through the House of Lamentation, that haunting thud which had every demon and human in the room springing to their feet. That harrowing sound, one which everyone seemed to fear, despite not even being close to guessing its origin. </p><p>Belphegor was ironically the first to race out of the dining room; being the avatar of sloth meant nothing when Beelzebub was in the question, and he mustered all the energy he could so he would be beside his twin brother as soon as possible. Where he belonged. Beelzebub had believed in him no matter how he behaved; when they lost Lilith, Beel was his prime source of comfort, and when he was locked in the attic, he could feel Beel yearning for his return. When he discovered Lucifer had locked Belphegor away, he shared the rage, so it wouldn't be so burdensome on his brother.</p><p>When Belphegor finally arrived at their shared room, the fact that the door was locked took him by surprise. Beelzebub rarely ever locked the door, it was always him doing the locking and hiding. He started banging on the door, calling out for Beelzebub, trying to notice any sound that signified Beelzebub was fine. </p><p>But there was nothing. </p><p>Becoming impatient, Belphegor relied on his demon form to break down the door as his brothers and River finally caught up to him. Lucifer would be furious at his actions, but it was worth it for Beelzebub's safety.</p><p>Some would say that Belphegor was lucky to be the first to see Beelzebub, the last to see him breathing, but this outlook is a stretch. He could barely breathe himself as he saw the blood-covered face of his twin brother, and he wasn't sure if he was comforted or saddened by the fact that he was smiling. His chest slowly rose a fraction for the last time, before his trembling form stilled, and his head lulled to the side. </p><p>A scream from behind him prompted him to spring into action, rushing to his brother's side, kneeling down in the pool of blood beginning to gather beside his head. He panicked, pushing on his chest to try and save him as tears streamed down his cheeks. But with every push, more blood spurted from his mouth and onto Belphie's knees. The avatar of sloth began sobbing, shaking Beel as if it would cause him to wake up, as if he would laugh and tell him it was some sick prank.</p><p>But that never happened. </p><p>River wanted to comfort Belphegor, though they could barely process what they were seeing themselves. They pushed through the demons gathered by the door, hearing sniffles and sobs as they did so, before trying to approach the beyond distraught, bloodied demon.</p><p>
  <em>"GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR ROOM! ALL OF YOU!"</em>
</p><p>The scream took everyone by surprise; Belphie had been shocked almost to silence since he discovered the body, and no one expected him to lash out so violently, his tail almost whacking River in the neck. But this emotional yell was enough to draw everyone to reality, and they scattered purely to try and escape the disturbing mess before them, so they could try to process everything that had just happened. Lucifer needed to call Diavolo urgently; he was beginning to look up to the Demon Prince and he honestly was too shaken to think of what he was meant to do next.</p><p>But it was as if River was paralyzed; they couldn't budge as they stared down at the happy-go-lucky avatar of gluttony who was now soulless and empty, just another corpse that would be buried and forgotten one day.</p><p>Belphegor was completely out of control by that point. This time, he successfully slammed his tail into their side, causing them to fly out of the door frame and straight into Mammon, sending them both crashing into a wall. Mammon groaned as sharp pain shot up his back, the wall behind him being damaged slightly from the impact. But his first thought was about River and he held them close to him as he helplessly watched Belphie's breakdown mere meters from him. He knew that if he tried to console his younger brother, he would make it worse, but he hated seeing him so emotionally destroyed. </p><p>Mammon held in his tears as he scooped River up, taking them to his room. He wanted so badly to break down and cry too; just like what each of his brothers were likely doing confined in their rooms. But he had to stay strong for River, who was not only hurt emotionally, but physically too. </p><p>Belphegor and Beelzebub's body disappeared an hour later.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>"You're fine, you're fine," Mammon cooed as he stroked River's hair. He'd slipped his jacket off and was using his other hand to try and wipe stains from his clothes. They had felt sick seeing Beelzebub's body, and smelling all that blood, so being thrown through the air didn't exactly help them hold it in. "Don' worry 'bout this mess, it'll wash off." </p><p>River found themselves clinging to Mammon's arm as if their life depended on it. They had been crying for so long they couldn't even remember when they started. Their eyes stung like needles were pricking them, and their face was puffy and swollen.</p><p>Mammon was barely holding himself together as he held them, shushing them and gently whispering words of comfort every once in a while. He had wanted to be comforted like this on numerous occasions, so he knew what he was doing based on all those pitiful daydreams. </p><p>"M-Mammon?" A quiet voice squeaked, causing Mammon to look down at his human. "You know- Y-You know it's OK to cry too, right?" Their expression was so genuine; they were concerned about why Mammon wasn't showing any signs of grief, and they guessed he was trying to put on a brave face for them. River shuffled away from him so they could stand up in front of him, before wrapping their arms around him and resting their head on top of his. "It's OK to be upset..." They mumbled softly. </p><p>Tears began to gather in Mammon's eyes as memories of fun times with his little brother began to surface. He held onto River's clothes, his emotions spilling out in the form of broken sobs which caused his entire body to tremble harshly. </p><p>
  <em>"M-My baby bro- Wh-Why'd he have to go like that?"</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I sobbed writing this to be honest :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Update!!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey, I'm starting to update this story after a long break :)</p>
<p>First I want to apologise about how long this has taken; I didn't realise how many people would actually read this and I'm really thankful for that! It has really motivated me to write again, since I was struggling with a lack of motivation to continue.</p>
<p>To fix this, there have been a couple changes:<br/>1. I decided to name the MC. This is because it's much harder to write a nameless character/blank name because it feels as if I'm writing about no one, you know? I needed to give them a name so I could think about their personality more and feel more in character when I write about them. I decided to name them River, because it's a pretty name :)<br/>2. Since I keep coming up with ideas out of nowhere, I do have a few stories being updated at once. I'm going to try and come up with a schedule for updating now that I'm starting university, but it will really depend on what genre I feel like writing at the time. I will try to update more regularly, perhaps even weekly :)</p>
<p>I hope you're enjoying To Be A Guardian Angel and there will be a new chapter soon! I realised I left it on quite a cliffhanger, so I'm sorry for making you wait so long :,)</p>
<p>-Ai</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Divided (Part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Weeks after the incident with Beelzebub, the entire family had been split. Whether it be by grief or anger, the demon brothers had never been so divided before. Everything appeared to be crashing and burning, but out of the ashes, will a revolutionary idea or two change everyone's fate, or will they cause the fire to spread further, engulfing the Devildom in its evil flames. </p><p>(Part 2 will include any characters not covered in this chapter!)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"The student council aren't very close anymore, are they? Have they even met recently?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Aren't a couple of them missing? The one who usually eats my leftovers never comes to the cafeteria anymore..." </em>
</p><p><em>"You're right! Have you heard from the one who sleeps in class? I'm not used to my teacher not telling someone off for sleeping. It's weird."</em> </p><p>Leviathan sighed and pulled his headphones over his ears. He wasn't meant to bring them to school, but Lucifer wasn't going to stop him. Nobody cared enough, there were more important matters to attend to. The avatar of envy was sick of hearing the gossip that had plagued the halls of RAD; no matter where he went, all he could hear was other demons talking about his family's matters. No one wanted to tell them about what happened to Beel, and the suggestion of it alone was enough to start a massive fight. Belphie was nowhere to be found, he'd taken Beel's body and disappeared during the night, and no one was talking to each other in the house. River, who usually fixed any issues between the brothers, was gone too.</p><p>For once, Levi hated being left alone. </p><p>He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and decided it was time to go home. Weeks had passed since the incident, and Levi couldn't wrap his head around it. It was so sudden, so painful, and there was no one to turn to for help. Lucifer was beyond consolation, anyone could see through that crumbling tough exterior of his. Satan seemed extra irate, with every tiny annoyance ending in thousands of Grimm worth of damage. Asmodeus stuck around Solomon so he could find comfort in the sorcerer, as well as check in on River without being too obvious about it. After the theft, no one was really meant to be around them, but Asmo was able to find a loophole. There was only one person available for Levi to turn to, one person he could look to for help as the world darkened around him. </p><p>"... Mammon, can we talk?" </p><p>Mammon looked up from the poker chips he'd been fiddling with, and he was surprised that such a soft knock belonged to Levi. Usually, his younger brother would barge in and complain about money he supposedly borrowed, or about Mammon selling some of his figurines. A memory began to play in Mammon's mind like a melancholic song, reminding him of the days when Leviathan relied on him as an older brother.</p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Weeks after the Celestial War, Mammon had been browsing Akuzon, looking for the best deals he could find. After all, this 'Grimm' stuff was intriguing, and Mammon wanted more of it. It must have been the middle of the night, but Mammon wasn't tired in the slightest. Whilst the rest of the house slept soundly, Mammon was busy tapping away at his D.D.D, grinning at what he had discovered after all his hard work. If he could get hold of this <em>Deluxe Ruri-Chan Figurine</em>, he could earn a fortune from it! "People really wanna buy this for a thousand Grimm? Tha's crazy..." </p><p>He was hauled out of his thoughts by the sound of soft knocking on his door. It was barely audible, and Mammon questioned whether he'd actually heard anything at first. That is, until the door opened a crack, and a familiar face appeared from the darkness of the corridor. "M-Mammon, are you awake?" </p><p>"Levi...?" Mammon was confused at first, since he was sure Levi went to bed hours ago, but that confusion quickly manifested into worry as he noticed tears reflect the light from his lamp. "Oi, are ya cryin'?!"</p><p>"N-No!" Levi huffed, rubbing his eyes quickly. "I'm not! I-It's just- my room, it's a bit... lonely." </p><p>Mammon sighed and shuffled over on his bed, patting the spot next to him as if to invite Levi to sit with him. "Wanna stay with me for now?"</p><p>Levi's eyes lit up, and he nodded, hurrying over to join Mammon. The younger demon yawned and peered at Mammon's D.D.D. "What're you doing...? What's that?"</p><p>"This?" Mammon turned his phone so Levi could see it too. "It's this... Ruri-chan thing? I dunno who she is, but she's popular- Oi, are ya listenin' to me?!" Mammon glanced at Levi, who was staring at the figurine with wide eyes. His frown slowly grew into a smile, which was worrying for Mammon's wallet.</p><p>"She's so cute! Can I have one, please Mammon?" Levi beamed. "I'll even watch her show, or whatever she's in! Please? They didn't have these back home!"</p><p>The older brother thought for a moment. A thousand Grimm for a tiny figure of some magical girl, was he really going to pay for this? But seeing that smile on Levi's face... it had been a while since he smiled like that. "Fine, fine. I'll get ya one, 'kay?" </p><p>"Thanks Mammon!" Levi said excitedly, hugging Mammon as if trying to prove how thankful he was. "You're the best big brother!" </p><p>Mammon laughed with a proud grin plastered on his face. "You can count on your big bro!" </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>"Levi, is that you?" Mammon stood up. He wouldn't have been so eager to see him if he'd seen Levi recently, but it'd been at least a few days. "What's up?" The pain in his voice was hard to hide, but he tried his best to hold himself together, for Levi's sake.</p><p>Levi pushed open the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him. His voice was quiet, as if he felt nervous talking to Mammon. "I- I think I have a theory, and I didn't know who to go to, so I thought... maybe... would you listen to me?"</p><p>"You came to me first?" Genuinely surprised by that, Mammon couldn't help but smile a little. It felt like the old days, when he felt more needed by his family. He guessed that in such an upsetting situation, strange things would probably happen, but he hoped they'd count on him a little more from then on. "I'll listen to ya, what do ya have for me?" Mammon asked, eyeing a folder Levi clutched tightly to his chest.</p><p>"You won't make fun of it, right...? I got most of the info from anime but- but it could apply to 3D people too! Hear me out!" Levi seemed afraid to share his views with Mammon, afraid that he'd be ridiculed for it. No one wanted to pay attention to him when he spoke about anime or games, would Mammon still listen to him in this situation, or would he discard him as useless?</p><p>"Why would I? Jus' come here, I can't see it from over there." </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>Meanwhile, deep in one of the Devildom's many luscious forests, Belphegor had found a suitable place to spend time with Beelzebub, <em>alone</em>. The scenery was beautiful, the air was fresh and cool, and best of all: there were no other demons around to meddle with their peace. He'd spent the last few weeks there, undisturbed, and enjoying his time with Beel. He talked to him for hours uninterrupted, and spent the remaining hours cuddled up to him, sleeping together like they always had done, whether it was in the Devildom or in the Celestial Realm. </p><p>In fact, they were sleeping like this when Satan came across them whilst finding a good place to read. He didn't mean to find them, though he was glad considering everyone who knew about what happened to Beel was worried sick. Lucifer had collapsed a couple times already, and though Satan hated his guts, he couldn't help but feel awful seeing the usually composed man in such a weak, broken state.</p><p>But what was even more pitiful was the sight of his youngest brothers, one dead, the other cuddled up to his corpse. </p><p>"Hey, how long are you planning to do this for?" Satan asked, squatting down beside Belphie.</p><p>Belphie stirred in his sleep, opening a tired eye before jumping to his feet and shielding Beel with his body. "NO! Don't touch him, Satan! You can't take him from me!" Tears were already gathering in his eyes, as he assumed Satan was planning on separating them. He wasn't ready- he couldn't say goodbye to Beel, not yet. He wasn't ready, and he wasn't sure he ever would be. </p><p>Satan set his book down and held his hands up to try and calm Belphie down. "I won't take him. I have another proposal that might help you find closure." The avatar of wrath clenched his fists. Just seeing his brother so feeble, and the sight of Beel's body... those alone were enough to fill him with an uncontrollable rage, anger spreading through him like the blood in his veins.</p><p>
  <em>"We'll avenge him, together. Will you help me?" </em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so sorry for the wait! It took a while to decide who is doing what, but hopefully you'll agree with the groups the characters have been put into once part two is published :)</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Divided (Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Part two of Divide follows what the rest of the demon brothers had been doing in the last few weeks, as well as checking up on our MC, River. </p><p>But a new threat looms over the Devildom, putting multiple lives at stake. Who caused this, and will they be stopped?</p>
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    <p>"Solomon~ Can we go to River's room again~?" Asmodeus was clinging onto the sorcerer who sighed, putting his spell book down. For the past few weeks, Solomon had noted that Asmo was clingier when he was upset, as if he needed extra attention to cheer up. Solomon didn't blame him- he'd probably need the same if he lost someone he loved, though he couldn't imagine the pain Asmo hid with that beautiful smile of his. </p><p>"I would love to go as much as you do, but last time we went at <em>night</em>. Luke's there now, we can't." Solomon glanced in the direction of Luke's room- the room next door was where River stayed, and he hadn't seen much of them since they arrived. The little angel was very protective of River; only letting Solomon or Simeon see them when he was watching, and not letting Asmo see them <em>at all</em>. He claimed it was due to the theft and the fact Asmo was a suspect, but Solomon believed this to be slightly overdramatic, even for Luke.</p><p>Asmo huffed. He was there to spend time with Solomon, since Satan was usually too angry to comfort him, but he was also there to be able to check in on River- a representative for his brothers, you could say. If anyone wanted to check in on their wellbeing, namely Mammon or Lucifer, they'd always ask Asmo. What would he say to them now that Luke had them locked away? "Come on~ Let's try anyway, he might change his mind once he sees me!"</p><p>Though he doubted this would work, the sorcerer agreed, and accompanied Asmo to River's makeshift room. As always, the door was closed, and there was a <em>'Do Not Disturb Or Else' </em>sign pinned to the door; Luke made it as soon as River moved in, he even doodled Cerberus in the corner. At times it felt as if the chihuahua had really matured into Cerberus, somehow. </p><p>"See, it was fine, he didn't even notice," Asmo whispered to Solomon, before knocking softly on River's door and pushing it open slightly. Much to his surprise, the room was empty, not a human in sight (not including Solomon, of course). Speaking of Solomon, Asmo noticed that he'd backed away, and wondered if he'd found River. "River~!" </p><p>As soon as Asmo spun around to face Solomon, he was met with a very angry Luke. Though, he wasn't quite the same Luke anymore. His radiant, angelic complexion was changed by dark circles that were beginning to form under his eyes. His eyes were also often puffy, as if he'd been rubbing them a lot, or he'd been crying a lot. Still, he acted colder to demons as usual, this never changed.</p><p>"Hey! I told you not to go in there, so why are you trying to sneak in?!" Of all the demons he could catch trying to sneak in to see River, it had to be the avatar of <em>lust</em>. Luke recalled what he saw in Majolish, the day he caught River shopping with Mammon and Asmo: Asmo had been touching their neck with those lusty, impure hands. It was awful to watch, and Luke was ready to ensure he'd never have to see it again, and River would never experience something so sinful. </p><p>"I didn't steal their stuff, Luke! I have plenty of clothes for myself~ So can't you let me see them?" Asmo pouted.</p><p>"N-O!" Luke sighed, pushing Asmo out and closing the door behind them. "Plus, River isn't even in here- we were reading together until I heard you making noise here." </p><p>"Luke, isn't this a bit... much? As long as you're there, it should be fine for Asmodeus to-" </p><p>"Nope! I don't want him to!" The child in Luke was really showing at this point; as well as the dangerous possessiveness that took Beelzebub. "You can come though, Solomon. Do you want to see them?" </p><p>Solomon glanced to Asmo, almost as if to gain permission from him. Of course, Asmo urged him to go, since River probably needed to see a face other than Luke's. Then, Solomon could report back to him, so he could stop worrying so much. It wasn't good for his skin to be this stressed. </p><p>When Luke led Solomon into his room, quickly closing the door behind them, Solomon was visibly shocked. He'd last seen River over a week ago, but since then it appeared their condition had worsened. They appeared <em>exhausted</em>, as if sleep was just a fantasy to them. Their expression was pitiful, and it looked like they hadn't smiled in years. Nevertheless, they forced a small, polite smile as Solomon greeted them. Luke sat on a chair at the side, keeping a close eye on the two as they spoke.</p><p>"River, I- I don't know what to say- are you sure you're well?"</p><p>River momentarily looked at Luke, almost as if to see if they were allowed to tell the truth, before turning back to Solomon. "I'm fine, thank you. How is... everyone?"</p><p>"Well, that's a lot to explain, I'll try to be brief..." </p><p>-+-+-+-+-+-</p><p>In Diavolo's Castle, Lucifer was being forced to rest. He'd been in this position ever since Beel's death, and the same cycle kept repeating itself over and over. Barbatos would make tea for Lucifer, who was meant to be in bed, but Lucifer would always be hunched over the guest room desk when Barbatos returned. It was as if he'd take any opportunity to work, so as soon as Barbatos' back was turned, he was already sifting through paperwork, trying to find clues. Anything to bring his family together, and to bring them the justice they deserved. </p><p>This became so damaging to Lucifer's health that Simeon was called over to the castle, to keep an eye on him for Diavolo and Barbatos. After all, they too needed to figure out what had happened to Beel for the safety of the Devildom. Simeon even slept in the same room as Lucifer, keeping a watchful eye on him during both the day and the night. To Lucifer, it was obviously a hindrance, but at the same time, he felt comforted by Simeon's presence. The angel had that effect on everyone.</p><p>"Lucifer, would you like something to eat?" Simeon asked worriedly, taking a seat at the foot of his bed. "You haven't eaten in a few days now, you must be hungry." </p><p>"No, thank you." Lucifer groaned as he went to stand up. He still didn't know where Belphie was, they couldn't give Beel a proper send off because his body was missing, and he was too weak to take control of his brothers. Too weak... Lucifer didn't like this feeling at all. </p><p>"Where do you plan on going, Lucifer?" Simeon stood up too, as Lucifer was already swaying on his feet. "Please, sit down again. Until you're better, you shouldn't push yourself so hard!" </p><p>"And why shouldn't I?!" Lucifer bellowed, his pride getting the better of him. "What kind of older brother am I, leaving my family to suffer alone without me?! How do I know everything is in order, how do I know that they're all fine, if I'm stuck in this damn bed all day?!" Simeon noticed Lucifer's hands shaking as he balled them into fists. The avatar of pride had already collapsed a few times since he turned up at Diavolo's castle after Beel's death, and they were trying their hardest to take care of him, but if he was going to be so hard on himself all the time it would prove to be very difficult for him to recover.</p><p>"Lucifer, you need to think about yourself too! You're sick, and until you're better, you're not leaving this room." Simeon was speaking firmly, but he knew that if Lucifer collapsed, he may struggle to get him back into bed. "Please, get better for them, they would want you to recover first." </p><p>With a sigh of defeat, Lucifer sat down, his head in his hands. His shoulders shook ever so slightly, as if he was trying to hide it, but Simeon decided that hiding wasn't something he'd let Lucifer do. Slowly, he took a seat beside the demon, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and lightly rubbing his arm, shushing him gently as if he were putting a child to sleep. The atmosphere quickly became more peaceful, as Lucifer allowed himself to unravel just a little bit in Simeon's arms. He didn't completely expose his emotions, but just that tiny bit was enough to lift a small weight from his shoulders. </p><p>But an even larger weight was soon to crash down. </p><p>Diavolo burst through the door, panic written all over his expression. Lucifer hadn't seen him so uneasy since- well, ever. "I received word from Father-" </p><p>Lucifer shot up, interrupting Diavolo. "Your father? As in, the ruler of the Devildom? But he hasn't made an appearance in a thousand years! So why?"</p><p>"He senses great unrest, so much so that it woke him up. He tells me that if I don't put an end to it <em>now</em>, the Devildom in its entirety- all my hard work to find peace and unity- it could be destroyed." </p>
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